Does Cruise Control give better or worst MPG

[kevenh]

One push knocks it off though. I only use it to stop straying over camera controlled speed limits. My last two company cars were also Mercs and used the same techniques then as well

Seems like all cars with limit control have the kick down acceleration to get a speed boost.
But different implementations.
The OH said her Honda Civic would not go faster than the limit set - even with manual extra acceleration effort.
I got in it and verified it will go faster if required!
Tbf it needs you to floor it.
Unlike my Mazda 3, Pug 108 - well, most cars other than her’s that just need a sharp quick application of the accelerator.

re.MPG on cruise control v manual, surely this’ll be another cyclic MHF discussion where posts of different road uses try agree?
On steady, mostly motorway driving, cruise control will be likely to improve MPG but not on windy & undulating A or B roads.

 

[JockandRita]

Being an ex trucker I always use it, especially when I'm in lower speed limits or roadworks where your more likely to have cameras.
I couldn't tell you if they save fuel, we just buy it when we need it.

In the trucks if you went from 6 to 8 it was a vast difference.
But in a car or motorhome it is not worth stressing about, it's a bit like driving out your way to buy fuel that's 2p a litre cheaper. Bob.

Same here Bob.
Although experienced with cruise control on trucks, buses, and coaches, the Flair is our first MH with it fitted, and it came into it's own through France's 80Kph speed limits, especially down that N10, where it is so tempting to "jog on"............ but you daren't.
Although heavier, with cruise control and the six speed box, we got better consumption figures on the long 80Kph stretches, than we did with the lighter 5 x speed Hymer without cruise control.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[Lenny HB]

Are you sure on that cost, if so I will go for it. Any one had it retro fitted to Renault Master engine?

Maybe a bit dearer but not much normally just a case of plugging a modual in and fitting the control.
A bit more work if you have a mechanical throttle rather than fly by wire.

 

[PaulyP]

Use it regularly in the car, even in 30 and 40 limits.
i much prefer on an auto, and independent test show as it keeps constant speed better than we do, it is marginally more economical.

That’s exactly how I use it, basically all the time at every speed limit, I definitely get more to the gallon as it’s more steady driving, anticipation of the road also helps.

 

[dunnah01]

I use the cruise for the mechanical sympathy it gives. I think my right boot is pretty well trained but it's nowhere near as clever as Fiat's engineering and on my 3.0 Comfortmatic cruise is on about 90% of the time. There's also so many cameras about that it gets a lot of use as a speed limiter, even around town.
I even retro fitted cruise to my Smart Roadster for the same reasons.

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[poppycamper]

Any one had it retro fitted to Renault Master engine?

Yes.... or at least a Vauxhall Movano 2015 mk3 model.
Can't rmbr how much but I think around £200 mark. Bought on tinternet and got local independent garage to fit.

 

[cmcardle75]

Yes.... or at least a Vauxhall Movano 2015 mk3 model.
Can't rmbr how much but I think around £200 mark. Bought on tinternet and got local independent garage to fit.

Is it just a stalk that you plug in, or are there additional components?

 

[robnchris]

All our cars have Cruise Control and we use it as soon as we can, why would you not?
The VW's have the Adaptive C C with an auto gearbox, which is just fantastic like all CC units it makes you think ahead.
One weak scenario of the Adaptive CC is eg. approaching a Round a Bout on a dual carriageway, you have the CC speed set at 70mph the car in front slows down, your car also slows down, then he pulls into the outside lane to turn right at the R-A-B, your car see's a clear road ahead and will take your speed back up to 70mph, so it's not a set it and leave it, you have to be pro active which isn't difficult as the controls are at your finger tips.

 

[Lenny HB]

Is it just a stalk that you plug in, or are there additional components?

One I fitted to a car was a unit between the throttle & ECU (plugs into the throttle connection) and fitted the stalk to the steering column and wiring between the two.

 

[jdk62]

I love cruise control...

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[cmcardle75]

One I fitted to a car was a unit between the throttle & ECU (plugs into the throttle connection) and fitted the stalk to the steering column and wiring between the two.

They're all different, depending on the vehicle. Some are just a case of plugging a £20 stalk into an already existing wiring loom by the steering wheel. At the other end, you get major surgery with motors to pull accelerator cables etc. and disc encoders to determine speeds...

 

[Tea Bag]

to this day dont know

Hi.
Don't use cruise control anymore...... Some bends are almost IMPOSSIBLE to get round at 130kmh. ( But it free's up the Fresh and Waste water gauges,result ). Do you think some "Sports Recaro seats " would help ?
Tea Bag.." Whoa me dads horse. "

 

[poppycamper]

so it's not a set it and leave it, you have to be pro active which isn't difficult as the controls are at your finger tips

Coarse it's not set it and leave it... NOBODY in their right mind would approach and enter a roundabout especially at 70mph under cruise control.
Beggars belief !!!!!

 

[cmcardle75]

NOBODY in their right mind would approach and enter a roundabout especially at 70mph under cruise control.

Sorry about the source, it was the first one I found on youtube!

 

[robnchris]

Coarse it's not set it and leave it... NOBODY in their right mind would approach and enter a roundabout especially at 70mph under cruise control.
Beggars belief !!!!!

I think you are missing the point....
I never said you approached a R-A-B, at 70mph, please read the post again.

Adaptive Cruise Control will only go as fast as the vehicle in front of you, if they stop you stop, when they move off so do you.
I used the 70mph as an example!!!!!!!!!!

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[John Barrett]

I don't use the limiter on my Merc, the cruise control works just fine. Being able to increase/decrease by 5 mph with a flick of the lever is really convenient and also encourages the use of cruise control in built up areas!

 

[Nasher]

There was a member on here Alex Cruise? That retro fits cruise controls

He did mine a few years ago with an OE fitment - I use it all the time and don't care about MPG

This was after two failed of attempts of having an after market system fitted by a well known supplier/fitter (I won't name them because they were very professional in my dealings with them)

Worth doing a search on the forum to look at previous threads...

 

[busby]

After picking up two speeding fines on my return trip from Spain,,one in Spain and one on N10 in France i am having one fitted..I seldom drive above 55 mph even on dual carriageways but must have just lost concentration...140 euros in total,,,BUSBY...

 

[Kannon Fodda]

I doubt I'd see much mpg difference between cruise control and using my own right foot. But if anything cruise control can't anticipate the road conditions ahead, compared to the driver, so you may find yourself braking later when you don't want to.

I don't use cruise control much at all. I find roads are just too busy and you have to keep flicking it off as you close in on someone, it doesn't even work in those infernal average speed areas as too many people don't drive at constant speed. I don't see how you can use cruise control in any built up area, it's only really a motorway thing when you can hope to do exactly what it says, cruise for a longer distance.

My car has the active cruise function (warning comes up to say only use on motorways), but I found that weird as too often car would slow far too early detecting something ahead, well before it was necessary or appropriate on a busy motorway to be changing lanes. Very frustrating.

What I do rely on is the limiter function. Yes it won't stop your vehicle accelerating on a long downhill, but neither would cruise, so you do get the warning beeps. Great I know to press the brakes. But it means I can keep my eye on the road ahead, without constant watch of the speedo knowing I won't be going too fast, yet I have the flexibility to move at the speed of traffic.

 

[gus-lopez]

Use cc all the time. I dont find it makes much difference to fuel consumption, but it highlights how poor most drivers are at maintaining a constant speed, even on an open and clear road - infuriating!

Yes . Uk is the place I least use it. & couldn't agree more about the inability to maintain a steady speed.

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[autorouter]

If it's a moderate slope that doesn't require changing down a gear, the cruise control uses more fuel on the uphill section but less on the downhill section.

Without cruise control, drivers tend to use a constant pedal setting, ie constant power. They slow down a bit on the uphill section, using less fuel than cruise control. But on the downhill section they speed up, using more fuel than cruise control. So on average there's not much difference.

A motorhome has such dreadful aerodynamics that the fuel consumption is governed mostly by the air resistance. A 20mph wind in the right or wrong direction can make a large difference to the fuel consumption, but nobody seems to account for that.

 

[Brains]

My 2018 Sprinter based van came with an automatic gearbox, a speed limiter and cruise control

Given the choice, I'd have paid extra to have a manual gearbox and not paid even £10 to have have the cruise control fitted.

The speed limiter is useful though, as I do a fair amount of urban motorway driving, with variable speed cameras every couple of miles (M11 to M2, 40+ speed cameras in about 30 miles!), it's also good on normal motorways to set the limit at about 75mph which gives you enough to pass what you need to without going over the top.

Cruise control - I can't see a use at all in the UK, in fact I think they are potentially dangerous.
They have very limited use in most of the rest of Europe.
(I've driven across the USA, where they do have a use.)

Automatic gearboxes - I was brought up driving Landies, so I've always used the gearbox as a major control item, I dislike the lack of control you have with an automatic.

 

[cmcardle75]

My car has the active cruise function (warning comes up to say only use on motorways), but I found that weird as too often car would slow far too early detecting something ahead, well before it was necessary or appropriate on a busy motorway to be changing lanes. Very frustrating.

The adaptive cruise on VAG cars is excellent. With the auto box, it works down to a stop (just under 20mph on the manual) and moves off again. You can choose how close to follow and, on some models, how aggressively it keeps to that distance. It is very good indeed.

My only complaints are that if you sense a car is about to turn off, you can back off far earlier. It has to wait until they are slowing down, so will brake harder. Also, on hills, it will tend to brake on the downhill section even if you know that you're going to hit the bottom soon and don't mind a 5mph overage to go up the next hill.

 

[robnchris]

I doubt I'd see much mpg difference between cruise control and using my own right foot. But if anything cruise control can't anticipate the road conditions ahead, compared to the driver, so you may find yourself braking later when you don't want to.

I don't use cruise control much at all. I find roads are just too busy and you have to keep flicking it off as you close in on someone, it doesn't even work in those infernal average speed areas as too many people don't drive at constant speed. I don't see how you can use cruise control in any built up area, it's only really a motorway thing when you can hope to do exactly what it says, cruise for a longer distance.

"Not true as Adaptive Cruise Control does see the road ahead, it's perfect in built up areas, really brilliant in those sections of roadworks on the motorway, you've set it to 70mph as you come into the 50mph roadworks everyone slows down, the Adaptive Cruise Control sees the car in front slowing down and does the same, (you can set the distance you want between you and the car in front) when you come out of the 50mph as everyone speeds up so will you."


My car has the active cruise function (warning comes up to say only use on motorways), but I found that weird as too often car would slow far too early detecting something ahead, well before it was necessary or appropriate on a busy motorway to be changing lanes. Very frustrating.

"As above you can set the distance the car will sense the vehicle in front.
Don't know which make you have but the VW system will also apply the brakes when CC isn't set when parking to prevent the car from hitting a wall, car etc.
In forward or reverse gear."



What I do rely on is the limiter function. Yes it won't stop your vehicle accelerating on a long downhill, but neither would cruise, so you do get the warning beeps. Great I know to press the brakes. But it means I can keep my eye on the road ahead, without constant watch of the speedo knowing I won't be going too fast, yet I have the flexibility to move at the speed of traffic.

 

[Kannon Fodda]

Clearly the Fiat Ducato's Cruise control / limiter thing is pants compared to the capabilities of the VW adaptrive CC tech. My car is a Toyota, and yes there are bells and whistles on some of the stuff it can detect, but I don't get on with it, and prefer my own judgement. When I can be in a multistorey car park and the road sign detection deciphers 5mph signage as motorway I get worried.

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[dunnah01]

Had VW adaptive CC on a hire car - scared the heeby jeebies out of me - solved a problem I don't have though

 

[Tiny]

Don’t like the sound of the adaptive cc, like the Renault one in my car, increase/ decrease speed by 1 mph per flick of switch plus the speed limiter (saves on speeding tickets). Just have get fitted to the MH

 

[poppycamper]

approaching a Round a Bout on a dual carriageway, you have the CC speed set at 70mph

robnchris Think you did.???

 

[the1andonly]

I love cruise control when in lazy mode but cannot compete with a human in serious economy mode, ie coasting in neutral for as long as practical being in correct gear for hill. But serious economy mode is tedious and hard work.
Cruise control in wrong gear will still get up the hill by injecting more fuel. i used to travel the same A road for 14 years and used to play games (always legal speeds), for the same 12 miles i could get any thing from 46 to 56mpg. 1.9tdi vag engine. For "normal" driving cruise control will not affect mpg enough to worry about.

 

[Lenny HB]

ie coasting in neutral for as long as practical

That will use more fuel, if you leave it in gear downhill with the engine on overrun the fuel supply is cut off, in neutral the engine is still consuming fuel.

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